The Washington critic., 1887-10-08
ODDS AND ENDS.

peck of steamed oysters; that's all the
medicine you need" said my family
physician, to whom l had applied for
a anervous sedative or sleeping potion
one day last week, as he opened the
door 10 show me out OF his office.
"But, Doctor, 1t is 10 o'clock at
night" "Well, what of that? Oh,
see; the popular prejudice against eat.
Ing at night. Let me tell you, Major,
that unless your stomach is out of or
der 1t is of more benefit to you to eat
before going TO bed than otherwise.
Food of simple kind induces sleep.
When did you dine,
"Six O'Clock? llumphl Just what
thought Six o'clock And you
breakfast at Z o'clock? Eleven
hours between dinner and breakfast
Enough TO keep any man awake. by
that time the fuel necessary to send the
blood coursing through your system
has burned out. Animals sleep in.
stinctively after eating. Human beings
become drowsy after eating. WhyY
Simply because the juices needed In
digestion are supplied by the blood be.
ing solicited toward the stomach.
Thus the brain receives less blood than
during the hour of fasting, and, be.
coming -paler, the powers grow dor.
mant. Invalids and those 10 delicate
health should always eat before going
to bed. The sinking sensation in sleep.
lessness is call for food. Wakeful.
ness is oftentimes merely symptom of
hunger. Crafty the desire and sleep
ensues. The feeble will be stronger If
they eat before going to bed. Some
persons are exhausted merely by the
process of making their toilets In the
morning. A cup of warm milk and
toast on retiring or of beef tea on
awakening will correct 1t"
"But Is 1t not essential that the stom.
ach should rest p Undoubtedly. Yet,
when hungry we should eat. Does the
Infants stomach rest as long as the
adultsY Man eats less often only be-
cause his food requires more time for
digestion. 1nvalids and children, at
night, may take, slowly, warm milk,
beef tea or oatmeal. The vigorous
adult can eat bread, milk, cold beef,
chicken, raw oysters, or some other
like food. or course 1t must be done
In moderation. You start home now
and take cup of tea and u beef sand.
wich on the way, or drop in at Solari's,
and, as l said before. eat half dozen
raw, with glass of Bass pale ale, and
IN risk your sleeping. Good night,
Major"
Visiting my shoemaker's q day or
two ago, to be measured for my annual
pair of ankle.high, button calf shoes,
l found the son of Crispin In n talka.
tive mood and drew him out as follows
by mentioning TO him the fact that
years ago l could not be induced to
wear anything but boots, and now /
could not be induced to wear anything
but shoes, no matter what the weather
might be. / don't know but that the
remark that the last pair of boots |
wore were pair Of fnc French calls
he made me to be married in-wore
them there for the first time-never
aiterward-and have them yet-may
have induced him TO talkativeness.
Any way this is what he said as he
took my measure: "In former years,
or about the time of the war, boots
were popular; but now not one man
out of II hundred will wear them, and
this is not owing, 1 presume, to the
fact that shoes are so much cheaper.
Good boots are very costly. | could
not make good pair for less than $l2,
while propose to make your shoes of
the very best French calf for 81.
"Old men whose daddies wore boots
cling TO associations, and 1t Is with the
utmost difficulty they are induced to
give them up. A boot, or anything
but a low cut shoe, In hot weather, is
very uncomfortable, and not n thing of
beauty nor a joy forever. have not
sold pair OF boots In three months.
81 notice the present generation have
much smaller feet than their ancestors
and take considerable pride In having
them well covered. The boot pre-
cludes all idea of neatness and sym.
metry, and, in consequence, has been
for many years boycotted by young
and dressy men. 1t is only In the far
West, where the 'greaser' roams at
will, and where the pistol and bowie.
knife play important parts in the set
tlement of difficulties, that the boot Is
popular and much affected. Notwlth
standing reports to the contrary, many
cattle dealers and cowboys still retain
the habit of tucking their pantaloons
into their boots and wearing two large
pistols and bowie knife In their belts.
"a few boots are still sold to horse.
men, but they are made up iu the finest
style and best of leather. Oh no.
boots are bad form and relic of
past age-never, | predict, to become
popular again. As, for instance, you
tell me the last boots you had, made
for you to be married in more than
seventeen years ago. remember we'll.
l selected the leather carefully-as
good and as thin piece of French
calf as | ever worked-and tried to
make you pair of boots worthy the
occasion. III venture the remark You
are keeping those boots as relic. Yes?
Put them on aud wear them down
here some day, and let me see II You
can look as happy that day as you
looked the day you tried them on iust
before leaving to become Benedict"
~.
AS, since the establishment of the
Weather Bureau, this has become re.
markably changeable climate, and as
the chilling blasts OF winter will soon
be upon us, therefore let us counsel to-
gether in season, TO ascertain how not
TO take cold before another summer.
If we walk home from Office, and
carry our overcoats on our arms be.
cause the walking makes us warm, we
will be liable to take cold. Therefore,
let us not do 1t. A person properly
clothed may walk In a strong wind for
long time without taking cold, but If
he sits In a room where there Is slight
draught, he may take severe cold in